SUNNY DISPOSITION DONAHUE RECALLS FOND MEMORIES AT UCLA.

Byline: Jill Painter Staff Writer

EL PASO, Texas - Karl Dorrell bought a new truck at the end of his UCLA playing career and was about to get a job to make car payments.

Terry Donahue, UCLA's football coach, had other ideas for Dorrell. He asked him to sell his car to become a graduate assistant, making little money.

Dorrell took part of that advice. He became a graduate assistant for Donahue in 1988, but didn't sell that truck. He made his payments and ate plenty of Top Ramen noodles instead.

Donahue did plenty for UCLA, winning 151 games during a 20-year span. And even though he didn't know it at the time, that conversation with Dorrell helped set the tone for UCLA's future. Dorrell was hired as UCLA's coach in 2002. He needs a victory in Friday's Sun Bowl to tie the school record for wins in a season - 10, something Donahue did three times.

Donahue, 61, will be inducted into the Legends of the Sun Bowl at a luncheon today, the same week that Dorrell coaches in his first Sun Bowl. His relationship with Dorrell and UCLA remains strong.

To many, he's remembered more for his compassion and character than wins and losses.

``UCLA, that was a love affair,'' Donahue said. ``It lasted so long. All of our children went to UCLA. I never had to move my family. My career was in one spot. We had so many great relationships with people and players and people in the athletic department. People at the university are lifelong friends.''

Donahue coached UCLA to a 6-3 win over Illinois in the 1991 Sun Bowl, and will be inducted as a coach and broadcaster. He served as the lead television analyst for the 1995 and 1998 Sun Bowls. He's been elected into the UCLA Hall of Fame, Rose Bowl Hall of Fame and College Football Hall of Fame, but this is no less an honor.

``I was thrilled when they called,'' Donahue said. ``The only problem when they start calling you a legend, that means you're old. Other than that, I was thrilled. We had a really nice relationship with the Sun Bowl for a long time. They're fabulous people and they knock themselves out for you. We only took one team over there. We won the game but scored only six points, so they must be putting me in as a defensive coach.''

The week of the Illinois game, the Bruins made a trip to Juarez, Mexico, to watch a baby bullfight. Memories are fuzzy, but one or two players got in the ring to act as bullfighters, which obviously made Donahue nervous. So, Ed Kezirian, then an assistant coach and now UCLA's assistant director of academic services, got in the ring and played bullfighter for a while.

``He just cared so much about everybody and everything,'' Kezirian said of Donahue. ``In his 20 years as a head coach, I think a lot of people knew that and felt that. He was really special. Any time he's around, it's a shot in the arm for UCLA athletics.''

After Donahue retired from UCLA, he became a television analyst. After the Sun Bowl, he'll fly to Dallas to do the Cotton Bowl for Fox.

He'll be at the Sun Bowl as a Dorrell fan. Donahue saw in Dorrell a hard work ethic, attention to detail and conviction. And Dorrell is thankful for Donahue's guidance.

``He is responsible for getting me into coaching,'' Dorrell said. ``He convinced me to volunteer one spring when he was short a coach. That started my career. I didn't think I'd have as much fun as I had. He must have seen something in me as a player that were certain qualities he felt good coaches should have. I was pleased he saw that in me. He's been a mentor of mine ever since the very beginning. It's kind of fun seeing him around from time to time in our program now.''

Dorrell asked Donahue to speak to his team during fall camp to give players a sense of the history and tradition of UCLA. No one knows that better than Donahue, who coached UCLA from 1976-95.

Donahue turned UCLA into a national contender. He won 98 Pac-10 games and is the winningest coach in the conference's history. He was involved in six Rose Bowls as a player, assistant and coach.

He had a .665 winning percentage at UCLA (151-74-8) and .653 winning percentage in the Pac-10 (98-61-5). He lost his first five games against USC but won the last five.

But when most people speak about Donahue, it's not about his football success.

``He's so embracing to his ex-players,'' said Matt Stevens, UCLA's quarterback from 1983-86. ``He never forgets he's your mentor. He's an absolute joy to be around.''

Jill Painter, [phone]

jill.painter(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

3 photos, 2 boxes

Photo:

(1 -- color) Former UCLA coach Terry Donahue will be inducted as a coach and broadcaster into the Legends of the Sun Bowl today at a luncheon in El Paso, Texas.

(2) Terry Donahue, above, indirectly played a part in UCLA's future, when he hired Dorrell as a graduate assistant.

Getty Images

(3 -- color) no caption (Terry Donahue)

Box:

(1) A LOOK AT THE NOs.

(2) WHAT'S IN THE BOWLS?